


Crying and Other Impossible Feats

by smartie1685



Category: Merlin (BBC) RPF
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-12-21
Updated: 2009-12-21
Packaged: 2017-10-04 20:47:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,408
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/33978
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/smartie1685/pseuds/smartie1685
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Colin's having trouble with a scene and Bradley helps him, eventually. Spoilers for 2x09: Lady of the Lake</p>
            </blockquote>





	Crying and Other Impossible Feats

**Author's Note:**

  * For [louise_lux](https://archiveofourown.org/users/louise_lux/gifts).



> Disclaimer: This is all from my head and the characters are only based on the actors and are not actually anything they would probably ever do.

It was only lunch time and Colin was already exhausted. He had spent the whole morning on his feet, running up and down the hill after he ruined each take. Merlin was supposed to cry over Freya’s body like the world was ending, but Colin couldn’t do it.

Every time he got to the part where Merlin was looking soulfully into Freya’s eyes as she lay in his arms dying, he suddenly forgot his lines or the director yelled cut because Colin looked constipated rather than heart-broken. As soon as the directors had given up on getting the scene right and broken for lunch, he'd run off to join the queue before anyone else had even broke character.

He should've known that he couldn't out-run Bradley James who hadn’t even been in the scene, just watching from the sidelines.

"Co_lin_, what was that? You're usually good at the girly parts," Bradley said as he came up behind Colin, closer than most people usually stood while waiting in the lunch queue.

"Maybe I’m more manly than you thought," Colin said with a smile, trying to ignore Bradley’s elbow right next to his.

"What mate? I couldn't hear you over my stomach, I am dying here," he said, grabbing almost everything offered except for the salad, he'd never eat salad.

Colin's plate in comparison looked like an orgy of lettuce but he liked it that way.  Colin made a hmm-ing noise that could've meant anything in response and speed walked to the farthest and smallest table.

Of course Bradley, who was almost as oblivious as his character, didn’t get the hint and sat down right next to Colin. The table was so small that their knees were pressed up against each other and Colin could feel it every time Bradley shifted in his chair as they ate. 

“Seriously Colin, what was the matter with you?” Bradley said between each bite of his food. “You never lack tears in our scenes, do girls just not do it for you?”

Colin glared at him and refused to respond. Bradley had continuously made jokes about them or their characters being gay since he’d found out about what their fans were inferring about their relationship. His stupid ‘bromance’ comment hadn’t helped the matter and only made Colin clam up more whenever that subject came up.

“It’s okay, you know I’m fine with all of that,” Bradley said, spooning more of his starchy potatoes into his mouth. 

“Yeah, you’re a real man of the world,” Colin said, looking in every direction except for Bradley’s.

Bradley continued to talk and Colin nodded along. Bradley looked a little confused at Colin’s lack of response, but Katie walked up before he could bring it up again.

 

Later, when they returned to set the directors had decided to film a different scene which Colin feared even more. He had to kiss Laura or well, Merlin had to kiss Freya, but it was still Colin’s lips that were involved. The woman was beautiful and slightly older than him, and he was nervous about it so of course Bradley had been teasing him about it all week.

Part of the reason he’d messed up this morning was that they were exploring several things he hadn’t been tasked to do yet and he was having trouble with it. He was having problems staying in character and constantly remembered himself as Colin when he should be thinking of himself as Merlin.

“Colin, have a mint,” Bradley said, tossing Colin a package of them. He walked off with a wink before Colin could respond.

He stared at the mints for a minute before putting one in his mouth and took a deep breath. When he let it out, he was Merlin and he kissed Freya. The scene only took a few takes before it was deemed perfect. Colin was disappointed they couldn’t do more kissing scenes, not because he enjoyed the kissing (it was okay, but not real), but because he hated the crying bits.

Colin spent the rest of the afternoon trying to cry on cue and failing. He would reach for the right emotion and once he started to feel it he’d start his lines and he would lose it. He’d forget that he was Merlin and felt like Colin again, crying over a girl he didn’t even know.

After a few unsuccessful takes, Colin was told to take a few minutes to think about a different approach, delve up a few sad memories or something. He sat in a chair in the shade, wouldn’t want to get any color in his cheeks, with his head in his arms trying not to feel like a failure.

“Co_lin_ how’d the kiss go? Did it turn french?” Bradley said, coming to stand next to Colin’s chair. Colin stared at his shoes, not knowing how to respond. Bradley hardly ever had to cry, he got the easy fight scenes. 

“Guess not or she wouldn’t be sitting over there,” Bradley said. Colin looked up to look where Bradley was gesturing. Laura sat in the last chair as far away from Colin as she could. She was glaring this direction too, probably upset that she’d have to stay another day because Colin was emotionally crippled.

“It went fine, it’s the crying bit that isn’t going well,” Colin said, lowering his head again so his last few words were muffled.

Bradley had learned how to understand Colin at his most Irish and had super sonic hearing so he understood him perfectly. “You’re still on that? I’ve finished all my scenes in that episode and we’re onto next week,” Bradley said, throwing himself in the chair next to Colin and sprawling out so that the toes of his sneakers were resting against Colin’s leg.

“Why are you out of character?” Colin said, realizing that Bradley wasn’t dressed in his Arthur gear at all, but rather in jeans and a t-shirt.

“I am finished filming,” he said slowly and enunciating each word like Colin was deaf.

Colin shook his head and muttered, “Wish I was.” 

He leaned forward again to try and force some tears out when he felt a yank on his arm. Bradley pulled him out of his chair and toward their trailers. 

“What are you…”

“Kidnapping you, this moping is doing no good,” Bradley said as he continued to force Colin to keep moving. He tried to drag his feet, but Bradley had a lot more muscle though Colin never liked to admit that.

Colin looked around as they got farther away from where he was supposed to be, but none of the directors were around, and Laura had already gotten up and left. 

Bradley kept ahold of Colin’s arm even after Colin started walking with him. Colin could feel the warmth from Bradley’s fingers through his shirt and he was glad that Bradley wasn’t looking at him because he couldn’t control the look on his face.

Once Bradley had pulled Colin inside his trailer and slammed the door shut, they both sat down. Bradley stared right at him like he expected Colin to say something, but Colin didn’t know what to do except avoid Bradley’s eyes.

After a few seconds of silence Bradley said, “Aren’t you going to ask me?”

“Ask you what?”

“How to cry.”

“I know how to cry.”

“Then why aren’t you?”

“Well the moment doesn’t really call for it,” Colin said, finally looking up at Bradley with a grin. 

Bradley only glared so Colin took a deep breath and leaned forward. “I’ve never felt that way before.”

Colin kept his eyes cast down as the seconds ticked by and Bradley didn’t respond, “I know it’s stupid..”

“We’ll just have to practice,” Bradley said and leaned forward until their faces were only inches apart.

Colin looked up and started to say, “What do…” 

He was interrupted when Bradley closed the gap between them and pressed their lips together. Neither of them moved until Colin opened his mouth to breath and this kiss did turn French.

A few minutes later they broke apart for air and Colin didn’t know what to say. He stared at Bradley and Bradley’s lips which were red.

Bradley’s lips moved, “I’m dying and about to utter my last words.”

Colin looked up to Bradley’s eyes and considered if it was Bradley dying in his arms rather than Freya. A tear slid down his cheek and he laughed.

 


End file.
